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J. Wesley McCullough
Colonel J. Wesley McCullough was the leader of the Alpha-Omega army hunting down apes around the country. Biography Dawn of the Planet of the Apes At the end of Dawn, after receiving a distress signal from the San Fransisco survivors, McCullough and his army is dispatched by the military base to hunt down and annihilate Caesar and his ape colony. War for the Planet of the Apes McCullough is first heard after his soldier, Preacher, tells him that his platoon was unable to infiltrate one of the apes' trench after an attack goes awry. McCullough, knowing the exact location of the ape village from Red's deal with Winter, infiltrates the waterfall with two soldiers. While his fellow soldiers are killed, McCullough succeeds in killing Cornelia and Blue-Eyes, thinking Blue-Eyes was Caesar. McCullough broadcasts a message to his fellow soldiers that he (supposedly) killed Caesar. He was unaware of Caesar overhearing the message and realizes what has happened. He returns to waterfall opening, only to see McCullough preparing to leave. As he prepares to jump, he turns and sees the real Caesar, confused and turns to the bodies of Blue Eyes and Cornelia, which Caesar directs his gaze and becomes horrified and enraged at the death of his wife and eldest son. Realizing his mistake, McCullough opens fire at Caesar, but disengages after spotting more apes emerging from the tunnels and jumps out of through waterfall. Caesar pursues, grabs onto the cable and climbs, but McCullough cuts the cable after Caesar knocks the rifle out of his hand, sending the ape falling down into the water, while he escapes. McCullough's forces regroup near the beach at a military refuge but leaves early with handful of soldiers to their base at an abandoned weapons depot on a border, preparing for the arrival of an army from the North. Later, Caesar comes across a scene of dead apes from his tribe, tied to large "X" shaped posts in the mountains, near the abandoned weapons depot. To his shock, he finds his entire tribe captured. Caesar is captured and is brought to the depot, where McCullough talks to him, and is amazed at how human-like Caesar looks. He orders Caesar to be put to work, building a large wall, like all the other apes. McCullough watches the apes work, and watches one of his men ordering a donkey, Red, to whip an orangutan who fumbles and caused a levee system to break. McCullough watches as Red savagely whips the orangutan, and continues to watch as Caesar yells at Red to stop, which causes the apes to halt their work in defiance. McCullough orders Caesar and the orangutan be brought of him. He tells Caesar to make the apes resume their work, but Caesar demands for food and water for the apes, forcing the colonel to kill the orangutan, then aims his gun at Caesar. He prepares to pull the trigger, but stops as he sees Lake resuming to work, followed by the other apes. He orders Red to tie Caesar an "X" shaped post in the middle of the depot, for all to see. Later, Red cuts Caesar down, claiming that McCullough wants to see him. In his office, McCullough tells Caesar that the apes will not receive food or water until their work is finished. Caesar then taunts him for killing his own men. McCullough explains that the Simian Flu is still carried by all survivors, and overtime, it's effects progress to the point of being unable to speak. He claims this is what happened to his son, and states he sacrificed him to protect humanity. The soldiers he killed had the same inability to speak. Caesar then states the soldiers from the North are not coming as reinforcements, which forces McCullough to reveal the wall's true purpose: to help defend Alpha-Omega from the remnants of the human military, who he claims fear him for his actions over the two years and are trying to stop him. He finally tells Caesar that he did not mean to kill Blue-Eyes, but that he does not feel bad for what he did. This sends Caesar into a fury, lashing out at him before he's subdue by Preacher and Red. The colonel berates Caesar and sympathies with his pain, claiming he's conflicted and unable to think. Looking Caesar in the eye, he asked him what would've happen to the apes if Caesar killed him, or if killing him is all he cares about before sending him back to his post. In the morning, the donkeys give food and water to the apes, however when it is Caesar's turn, Red pours cold water all over him. Caesar is left on the post for the rest of the day, starving and shivering from the dropping climate, before being cut down by Red. McCullough tells Red and Preacher that in the morning Caesar will be put to work if he survives the night. During the night, one of his men spots weird activity with the apes and takes Red, a donkey and a few men to investigate, unaware that Nova had infiltrated the depot and fed Caesar. Rocket reveals himself and gets into a scuffle with Red to let Nova escape. He has Rocket sent into the pin with the other apes while the soldiers sweep the perimeter. The next day, McCullough, Preacher and Red approach Caesar's cage, surprised to see him still alive. As Red direct him to the other apes, McCullough spots Nova's doll, whom left it with Caesar, buried underneath the hay and demands to know where it came from. Not answering, McCullough told Red to put him to work alone on the upper rocks as he investigates the doll, unaware that it carries the evolved ALZ-113. That night, McCullough's infection spreads, robbing him of his speech and sends him into a primal state, ransacking his office and barricading the door, unaware that all the apes have escaped the depot. As morning comes, so do the Northern army. They and Alpha-Omega exchange rocket fire and helicopters ammunitions. McCullough's troops manage to hold them off while other soldiers attempt to reach McCullough, confused as to why he has not joined the battle. Caesar, still set on vengeance, sneaks into the Colonel's office through the balcony, finding the place ransacked, the front door barricaded and blood on his flask. He makes his way to McCullough's bedroom to find him on his bed, reaching for a bottle of whiskey and his gun next to him, Caesar walks toward him, reaches for the gun and points it at McCullough's head. McCullough looks up at Caesar, revealing dried blood from his nose and around his mouth, and attempts to speak, but only hissing noise comes out. Caesar becomes shocked and turns his gaze to the ground, spotting Nova's doll and surmising the colonel is infected. Knowing what's happening to him and the possibility of his men killing him on sight, McCullough puts his hand on the gun and pulls back the hammer, signifying that he wants Caesar to pull the trigger out of empathy. At first, Caesar prepares to oblige but struggles before realizing what vengeance had lead him to. To McCullough's shock, Caesar withdraws the gun from his head and places it back down, looking at McCullough and seeing him for what he really is: a man twisted by fear and will go to any length to not become infected. Realizing he's no longer a threat and doesn't deserve sympathy, Caesar backs up, leaving the colonel with a choice: kill himself or live like an animal. Caesar watches the sorrowful colonel reach for his gun and placing it on his face, pulling the trigger and ending his life. Personality War for the Planet of the Apes: Revelations More to come... War for the Planet of the Apes At first glance, McCullough was ruthless, merciless, highly intelligent, and extremely resourceful. Every action he takes was driven by his desire to keep the human race alive, which he took to an amazing extent. Once the Simian Flu begins causing the devolution of humans to a more primitive state of being, McCullough decides to kill any humans infected by the mutated simian flu, including his own son, showing that he would go to horrific lengths to survive and (in his mind) ensure the survival of the human race. When infected with the virus himself, he elects to take his own life rather than live as a primitive being. His hostility puts him at odds with the men of the North, who believe the virus can still be dealt with medically. He frequently exhibits his power through fear and intimidation, killing without hesitation and torturing and starving Caesar as a public example to his enslaved apes. However, McCullough was able to recognize strengths in his own enemies, marveling at Caesar's intelligence, but at the same time challenging what Caesar's revenge would achieve for either of their races. McCullough, in spite of his ruthlessness and cruelty, was a very reserved man, rarely losing his temper and maintaining his public image as a great leader for his men. Despite the men in his unit being generally loyal to him, Caesar and the men of the North saw McCullough as nothing more than a delusional-psychopath, evidenced by his lack of remorse for his actions, as well as the fact that he believed that all of his actions were justified. McCullough was a dishonorable-coward, after he learned of the location of the apes' outpost, he attack the apes' outpost, in the dead of night, in an attempt to assassinate Caesar, only to kill Blue Eyes (who he mistakenly believe to be the ape king) claiming the killing to be an act of war; however, in truth, it was an act of cowardice. McCullough was also unreasonable, this is evidenced by the fact that when Caesar spared his men's lives from the Battle of the Muir Woods Park, as a message that the apes do not desire war with the humans, and that they only want peace between their respected race, he responded by attempting kill the ape king, which resulted in the death of Caesar's wife and eldest son. After becoming infected with the evolved ALZ-113, robbed of his speech and devolving, McCullough's true personality surfaced for the first time before his suicide; he was a man twisted by fear of devolving to an animal, which forced him to go to the extreme to kill any human showing signs of devolving from the Simian Flu, any scientist who believes a cure can be found, and to kill all apes. Knowing his fear can put him at odds with his men, McCullough puts up his facade as a ruthless to keep the hope that humanity can be saved, but deep down he knows there's no hope and chose to fortify himself with any resources he obtained along the way. Abilities *'Expert Tactician:' McCullough was a highly skilled tactician, as he and the men under his command, manage to avoid being captured by Caesar and the ape army for the last two years, however, despite this; McCullough's arrogant, delusional and psychotic traits proved to be his downfall, McCullough had the apes build a wall to protect him and his men from the Alpha-Omega faction from the north, who were going to execute them for their crimes of murdering innocent humans who have been infected by the mutated Simian Flu, unlike Caesar, McCullough failed to realize that the wall they were building, would not protect him or his men. Relationships *''See Colonel McCullough/Relationships. Notes *'Colonel McCullough''' was the secondary antagonist of the Revelations novel and the main antagonist of both the War comic books and War for the Planet of the Apes. Trivia More to come... Image Gallery WPOTA Caesar spots a human.png WPOTA The Colonel warpaint.png WPOTA The Colonel opens fire on Caesar.png WPOTA The Colonel.png WPOTA The Colonel in warroom.png WPOTA Photo of the Colonel's son.png WPOTA Caesar kneels before the Colonel.png The Colonel and Caesar.jpg WPOTA Caesar shows no fear.png WPOA The Colonel gazes over his army.jpg WPOA The Colonel's declaration for survival .jpg WPOA The Colonel 2.jpg WPOA Donkey, The Colonel, and Preacher opening Caesar's cage.jpg WPOA Caesar chasing after The Colonel.jpg WPOA Caesar vs The Colonel.jpg WPOTA Donkey & The Colonel.jpg WPOTA Red and the Colonel.jpg Appearances *War for the Planet of the Apes: Revelations *War for the Planet of the Apes (novelization) *War for the Planet of the Apes (BOOM! Studios) **War for the Planet of the Apes #1 **War for the Planet of the Apes #2 **War for the Planet of the Apes #3 **War for the Planet of the Apes #4 Category:CE Category:CE Characters Category:Male Characters Category:Humans Category:Article Stubs Category:Stubs Category:Character Stubs Category:Villains Category:Deceased Characters Category:Deceased Humans Category:Survivors of the Simian Flu Category:Human-Ape War Category:Comic Characters Category:Novel Characters Category:Killed by Colonel McCullough